I attended a Christmas dinner, and got half drunk. I then applied Frankincense (Boswellia frereana) oil (1/4 tsp olive oil, 1 drop of essential oil) every 15 minutes twice on my forehead, temples, tip of the nose, area between the mouth and the nose, back of the neck, and shoulders; I also drank some hot green tea. I sobered up, and was clearheaded.

I used to have motion sickness when somebody gave me a ride. To prevent motion sickness, the usual practice is to use Ginger (Zingiber officinale) essential oil for topical application and inhaling. I also tried Frankincense (Boswellia frereana) [1/4 tsp olive oil, and 1 drop of essential oil] — on the same areas (apply several times or as necessary when needed), and it worked great.

Frankincense can clear the mind and elevate the spirit. It keeps your spirit strong, focused, and positive. I used to take a nap after my breakfast, but today (Dec 15), I didn’t have to. Since I have back acne, and I am using frankincense to clear them with carrier oil. The whole process of application was rejuvenating. The inhalation of frankincense made me feel great and energetic about myself. As frankincense can achieve this objective, I suspect the application of it can relieve symptoms of mental illness. More research is needed to validate the claim.

The information or research about Bowswellia frereana are very limited. Known as the King of Frankincense, Bowswellia frereana is usually imported from Somalia. The therapeutic properties of Bowswellia frereana are anti-inflammatory, uplifting, revitalizing, and centering. It is also used for joint health.

According to Stillpoint Aromatics (2014), Boswellia frereana is composed mainly of the chemistry of alpha thuyene, delta sabinene and para cymene – they are related to monoterpenes. It also carries the characteristics of monoterpenes such as antiviral, antibacterial, analgesic, and so on. Because of a high content of alpha thuyene, Boswellia frereana, the aroma of the essential oil is more pungent.

People usually equate Boswellia frereana with Boswellia carterii. From my experience, the latter is milder, and more calming. The invigorating effect of the former can make up stay awake all the night.

Bowswellia frereana still leaves much room for aromatherapists to research in its clinical applications. However, it brings the Frankincense family to another height as there are still many to explore.

References:

http://www.boswellness.com/sites/default/files/pdfs/Boswellness%20Frereana%20EO%20product%20sheet.pdf

http://www.stillpointaromatics.com/frankincense-frereana-Boswellia-frereana-essential-oil-aromatherapy?keyword=frankincense

http://www.labaroma.com/blog/2014/10/the-role-of-aromatherapy-in-combination-with-traditional-medical-practice/

When it comes to pure rose oil (Rosa damacena), people become very cautious as it is very pricey. However, when we weigh the benefits with the cost, it worths every penny of the price.

Here, I would like to share two of my personal experience in using the pure rose oil:

Hair

As I am in my mid age, I have started to experience problems of thinning of hair, grey hair, and dry hair. To resolve this problem, I have been using pure rose oil with my lavender shampoo. The results are unbelievable – my hair has regained its strength – the thinning issue solved, grey hair (though 2 pieces only) turned black, and I have got soft and shiny hair. When you massage the scalp of your hair when shampooing, it is so soothing, and it smells so good. The whole feeling is very rejuvenating, refreshing, and comfortable.

Skin

When one approaches mid age, aging problems start to appear. I use one drop of pure rose oil with ¼ tsp of carrier oil to massage my face once a day. It makes my skin so soft, and the signs of aging are diminished.   The fragrance of rose oil is so calming and relaxing. My mind regains the peaceful feeling. Believe it or not, this has a stabilizing effect on one’s mood.

Rose oil is renowned for its skin healing and cell regenerating properties. That is why I can have such a wonderful experience both in my hair and on my skin. Although it is very expensive, I keep using it for maintaining the optimal results.

When you beautify yourself physically, you also beautify your spirit. How can a woman survive without the rose oil? What’s your thought on it?

 

http://www.alliance-aromatherapists.org/my-first-blend-my-sickness-and-my-fun/

 

 

(1)– Rosemary ( Rosmarinus officinalis ct. camphor)

 

To many essential oil users, rosemary is not strange to them. The common chemotypes that we encountered are camphor, 1,8 cineole, and verbenone. The latter two are good for respiratory issues, while camphor is renowned for being a stimulant. This article is a study on rosemary camphor with its ability to dry the wetness in the body, resulting in achieving mucolytic equilibrium.

In Chinese Medicine terms, if the spleen cannot function well, the fluid of the body will accumulate. This leads to lethargy and causes nasal congestion. To tackle the problem, the first thing to do is to dry the extra fluid in the body by stimulating the circulation inside. This is especially true for those people who get cold and have cold limbs.

Rosemary essential oil is warming. Due to its vasodilating function (i.e. dilating blood vessels), it can stimulate circulation (by increasing circulation of blood and oxygen). Besides, it is also diuretic, which means that it can reduce fluid in the body. The astringent effect of rosemary camphor is vital in constricting and drying the fluid.

A case in point

A client with nasal congestion mixed 3 drops of rosemary camphor with a handful of body wash gel, massaged onto her body when she took a shower. After finishing her shower, she felt more relieved and her nasal congestion improved quite a lot. She continued using this method for three days until her nasal congestion was cleared. The client used to have dampness (wetness) accumulated in her body (diagnosed by a Chinese herbal doctor).

Although 1,8 cineole and verbenone are widely used by aromatherapy practitioners in healing respiratory ailments, camphor also accomplishes the same objective. It is works in an indirect fashion.

Another added benefit is that rosemary camphor helps to dry up the acne on the client’s back and heals the acne scars more quickly.

(2) – Ginger (Zingiber officinale)

Ginger is well known for its ability to heal motion sickness. More than that, it helps expelling the heat from the skin by its warming action. Thus, if you get fever, it should not be neglected in your blend. This is due to its rubifacient therapeutic property, and by generalizing localized increase in blood flow and circulation, heat can be released through the skin by means of perspiration. Though there are many functions of Ginger essential oils, these few make it stand out of the rest in healing ailments concerning fever.

A case in point

A client with mild fever came to ask for help, she had headache and running nose. The reason for her sickness was catching wind cold. To relieve her sickness, the following blend was made:

1 drop of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)

1 drop of geranium (Pelargonium roseum x asperum)

2 drops of ginger (Zingiber officinale)

1 tsp (5ml) of olive oil

This helped her relieve the symptoms and she slept well. She felt a lot better the other day after her first applications. Actually, in Chinese medicine, ginger is praised for its ability to relieve surface wind cold.

3 — Cardamon (Elettaria cardamomum)

Cardamon and ginger belong to the same family. In most cases, they can be used “interchangeably”. In my practice, ginger is used more to induce surface perspiration while cardamom is used for deeper action like tonifying and vitalizing the body, if any difference arises.

The 1, 8 cineole of cardamom makes it a good choice for ailments related to nasal congestion. Since it is a decongestant, it helps reduce the mucous congestion and swelling. It is a rising star for stopping the spasmodic (bronchial) cough in my clinical experience.

A case in point

A client with nasal congestion and bronchial (spasmodic) cough was given an inhaler with the following blend to relieve the symptoms:

5 drops of Cardamon (Elettaria cardamomum)

5 drops of Eucalyptus Globulus (Eucalyptus globulus)

 

5 drops of Frankincense (Boswellia carterii)

This combination could benefit nasal congestion, but to my surprise, it was effective in stopping the client’s spasmodic cough whenever it happened. After three days of inhaling the blend, her spasmodic cough was healed completely. In fact, in my practice, I have used different decongestant oils to sooth the cough. But, it is only soothing without completely eradicate the problem. However, by adding cardamom essential oil, the problem got solved in a dramatic way.

Conclusion

The use of warming oils in these three case studies reveals to us that – by adding warming essential oils, the therapeutic properties of the whole blend are enhanced. Though rosemary camphor, ginger, and cardamom exhibit certain therapeutic effects or chemistry in healing, adding warming oils undoubtedly increase the synergistic effect of the whole blend. Though mystical, the facts show the powerful effects they can have. Undoubtedly, more clinical data are needed to prove that.

References:

The therapeutic properties referred in this article are from Aromahead Institute’s online classes.

That’s icing on the cake!?

A brainstorming on the healing protocols

An aromatherapist has his or her own healing protocol or framework. Some emphasize on chemical components and therapeutic properties, some on plant parts, and some on emotional aspects. In fact, it is hard to say which one is superior. Each protocol has its own merits. In reality, many people are amazed at how effective aromatherapy is in their first encounter. However, passion can fade away if we cannot pinpoint the right healing protocol for clients. Flexibility is the key – as we have to cater for customer’s needs, while maintaining the effectiveness of the protocols.

To help me think more systematically, I classify my aromatherapy healing protocols into three categories – “ icing on the cake”, “timely help”, and “other factors”.   Think in this way: when you make a cake, and encounter problem(s), you get “timely help” from a friend, or a recipe, then you get it solved. After finishing the core (cake), you put “icing on the cake” for decorative purpose. The cake may not turn out in the way that you like it tastes. The reason is that the ingredients are not fresh (other factors) or of inferior quality.

To illustrate further with a real life example, let us think of a person with neck pain: an elderly with neck pain came to you and asked for your help in using aromatherapy to relieve her pain. After your first consultation, you found out that her problem was caused by osteoarthritis. To relieve her pain, you made a salve with some essential oils for her. She went home to try, and found it quite effective in relieving her pain. She also found that she slept better because of the fragrance of the salve. This further sped up the recovery process.

In the case above, the “timely help” is the aromatherapist, and the salve; the “icing on the cake is the fragrance that induced her to sleep; and, other factor is the fact that she heals more quickly because she sleeps well.

If the elderly who came with an added ailment of stiff neck, though the problem of neck pain was solved, and you tried to help her with a blend of essential oils (timely help), but could not help much. Emotionally, you can use the aroma of essential oil to add “icing to the cake”, the core of the problem still exist. In this case, we have to introduce the concept of other factor: does she need to see an acupuncturist? Does she need to see a physical therapist for further treatment? It is because they may have more resources to find out if the stiff neck was caused by the muscle or the bone; and they have the necessary expertise to relieve the problem.

Take for another example: a man with mild fever, running nose, and headache asked for your help, and you gave him a blend of essential oils after consultation. Apparently, after using the blend, his symptoms got subsided; however, in the next morning, he got high fever and severe headache. It seemed that the “timely help” did not come from you. It may be for his good to find another “timely help” from a doctor who practiced conventional medicine. Still, you could make another blend for him for the icing purposes, which could help him heal more quickly.

Another case was that – a person with mild fever, headache, and running nose sought to heal herself by the body itself, instead of healing by any intake. To her, less is more. To help her to recover, you made her a blend for sound sleep, so that her body could heal more quickly by itself when she slept. In this case, the blend is still the “timely help”, but you take into account of “other factor” like inducing her to have sound sleep, so that her body could heal more quickly. The aroma of the blend is the “icing on the cake” as it provides emotional support to your client.   As a result, your client is able to heal fairly quickly in the way she wants to. Because of your clarity of mind in classifying the protocols, you are able to tackle the problem with ease, and effectiveness.

To sum up, this simplified model is to provide a framework in classifying the healing protocols into three categories – “icing on the cake”, “timely help”, and “other factor(s)”. The classification helps in clarifying one’s mind in determining which protocol to be used – be it chemical components or therapeutic properties, plant parts or emotional aspects. This method also helps one to be flexible in his or her choice of protocol. All these three can work together as synergies, while they can be separated to look into it most of the time. Aromatherapists are welcome to use more examples to validate the claim.